Goodwood Galaxy

Trained by David Menuisier at Pulborough in West Sussex — a yard that has sent out 20 winners already this season — Goodwood Galaxy made an immediate impression when he won on his very first race at Salisbury on 25 June. That debut win earned him a Racing Post Rating of 92, which Menuisier noted is unusually high for a horse racing for the first time. To put it simply: most horses who go on to run in top-level three-year-old races are earning ratings like that on their first or second outing. Goodwood Galaxy did it first time.

What makes him interesting is the personality behind the performance. Menuisier has been candid about the fact that this horse has a streak of stubbornness — he does things his way, and the trainer has learned to work with that rather than against it. He's even drawn a parallel with the horse's sire, Kodi Bear, who apparently had the same take-it-or-leave-it attitude. The approach at Salisbury was to keep things simple, keep the horse happy, and trust that the ability would show itself. It did, by a comfortable margin.

His overall record of 1 win and 1 place from 6 races — roughly a win in every 6 outings — doesn't yet tell the full story of his potential. He's been competitive without always translating that into results, but his best form comes over seven furlongs to a mile, where he's won 1 from 4 races, a 25% win rate that looks considerably more encouraging. The fourth-place finish at Goodwood, beaten around two lengths in a race everyone acknowledged was a serious test, suggests he belongs in good company even if he hasn't cracked it there yet.

He raced just yesterday, so whatever comes next is still being decided. But a three-year-old with a big rating, an opinionated streak, and a trainer who clearly knows how to handle him is worth keeping an eye on as the season develops.